Multiple Choice
Identify the
letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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Passage 1
The following questions refer to this
passage.
Susie’s family had just moved to Boston when her
father lost his job. Her mother, a former stay-at-home mom, entered the work force as a secretary to
make ends meet, but the small paychecks didn’t make up for the gaps in their income or the steep
moving expenses that drained their savings and strained their credit. Already worried about
foreclosure, the family felt blindsided when the electrical fire started in the basement and rendered
the house a total loss. Due to their strapped conditions, they had let the payments lapse on their
insurance policy. Like a sparrow caught in a hurricane, the family felt completely helpless.
Displaced, they ended up sleeping in cots in a mission downtown with other vagrants. Soon
after, Susie became ill. Thinking it was a side-effect of the smoke inhalation, the doctor visiting
the shelter said that symptoms would pass, but a month later, Susie only seemed worse. Alyssa, a
volunteer, had grown worried, so she took Susie to the Emergency Room. After the doctors ran numerous
tests, they realized that Susie had Leukemia. Susie’s parents, frantic with worry and numb with
helplessness, reached out to the community, seeking help of any kind. They knew she needed care, but
the medical bills they faced were astronomical. Alyssa once again stepped in, organizing a series of
fundraisers to provide money for the family to relocate to Memphis and get on their feet while
sending Susie to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. This facility has top-rated
doctors using the latest research and techniques but does not turn away any child due to the
inability to pay.
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1.
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The
sentence, “Like a sparrow caught in a hurricane, the family felt completely helpless” is an
example of a. | metaphor | b. | simile | c. | personification | d. | juxtaposition | | |
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2.
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In
order to relate to the families in the shelter, volunteers, like Alyssa, must have a real
understanding of the difficulties the families face. They must feel __________ for the needy
families’ situations.
a. | empathy | b. | philanthropy | c. | gratitude | d. | obligation | | |
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3.
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The
word “vagrants” in the paragraph most closely means
a. | homeless
people | b. | lost people | c. | criminals | d. | hungry people | | |
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4.
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Which
of the following sentences from the story is a COMPLEX SENTENCE containing a SUBORDINATE
CLAUSE? a. | Soon after,
Susie became ill. | b. | They knew she needed care, but the medical bills they faced
were astronomical. | c. | After the doctors ran numerous tests, they realized that Susie
had Leukemia. | d. | Her mother, a former stay-at-home mom, entered the work force
as a secretary to make ends meet, but the small paychecks didn’t make up for the gaps in their
income or the steep moving expenses that drained their savings and strained their
credit. | | |
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5.
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Which person in this story
seems to be described as the MOST altruistic? a. | The doctor at the shelter | b. | Susie | c. | Susie’s father | d. | Susie’s
mother | e. | Alyssa | | |
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6.
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This story is made more
poignant by a. | Susie’s refusal to give
up | b. | The specific name of the hospital that
would treat Susie | c. | Susie’s family’s continued tragic luck | d. | Susie’s difficulty facing her upcoming medical
procedures | | |
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7.
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Alyssa wanted to ___________
the stress Susie’s family felt at this difficult time. a. | alleviate | b. | cultivate | c. | evince | d. | predominate | | |
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Passage 2
The following questions refer to the passage
below.
Two women stood at the corner watching the front door
of the church. One woman was blond, tall, and slender. She was polished and poised from the top of
her highlighted hair to the tips of her Prada pumps. This woman impatiently brushed a speck of dirt
from her Dior dress as she waited for her daughter to run down the steps from her Sunday school class
and climb into the shiny Lexus. As the girl’s pigtails bounced toward the car, the woman climbed
into the driver’s seat, complaining that they would have a difficult time getting a table for
lunch at this late hour.
The other woman
was a brunette. She hid part of her skinny body behind the wall as she gazed in reverence at the
stained glass of the door. Her filthy coat hid a worn T-shirt that displayed a high school mascot
from another state that the woman had never passed through, its previous owner having discarded the
shirt into a bin for Goodwill. The back doors of this church would open soon, offering the warmth and
acceptance inside. Volunteers would gather, as they did every week, to spoon steaming soup into
Styrofoam bowls for needy families. This would be her first meal in two days. Hunger stood with
her now, as it followed her always, reminding her of life’s uncertainty. She thanked God
each day for the people in churches like these that shared their blessings with people like
her.
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8.
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It is
clear from her description that the second woman feels _____________ for the volunteers in the
church. a. | gratitude | b. | compassion | c. | philanthropy | d. | humane | | |
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9.
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It is
clear from her description that the first woman feels _____________ toward the church, and feels
______________ toward her appearance.
a. | Empathy, Altruism | b. | Materialistic,
Empathetic | c. | Altruism, Obligation | d. | Obligation,
Materialistic | | |
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10.
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The
church’s practice of feeding the needy families in the area is an example of a. | materialism | b. | gratitude | c. | philanthropy | d. | expulsion | | |
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11.
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The
underlined sentence displays an example of a. | personification | b. | metaphor | c. | simile | d. | exemplification | | |
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12.
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The
description of the two women’s physical appearance and mental state is an example of
a. | juxtaposition | b. | irony | c. | metaphor | d. | exemplification | | |
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13.
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In
their physical descriptions, the first woman is referred to as “slender” while the second
woman is “skinny.” This is an example of a. | juxtaposition | b. | irony | c. | diction | d. | figurative language | | |
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Passage 3
The following questions refer to the passage
below.
Nine years ago,
Ernie was an 8-month old colt slated to ship to an American slaughterhouse where he would have been
killed and processed into meat for human consumption in the Asian and European market. Instead, I
bought him by the pound (despite the arbitrary ban my husband, David, had put on getting any more
horses – silly man) and booked a trailer to bring him home.
I buy all my horses by the pound. They come from slaughter yards and
kill pens and PMU ranches. They arrive frail, scarred, scared and traumatized. We shower them
with love and kindness, cure their infections, rehabilitate and train them for a new job. Some are
too tired and broken to ride, but we’re fine with that – we coddle them and let them live
as long as they like. They are our friends and companions and we love each and every
one.
<http://middletown-ct.patch.com/articles/how-president-obama-made-it-legal-to-slaughter-horses>
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14.
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In
the 2nd paragraph, the seriousness of the horses’ situation could be described as
being a. | grave | b. | humane | c. | obligatory | d. | sensible | | |
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15.
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It is
clear from her description that the speaker feels _____________ toward the slaughterhouse
horses. a. | materialism | b. | philanthropy | c. | compassion | d. | obligation | | |
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16.
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Seeing the horses in such poor conditions really touched the speaker’s
__________. a. | gravity | b. | empathy | c. | sensibilities | d. | obligation | | |
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17.
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The
word “frail” in the paragraph most closely means a. | apprehensive | b. | fragile | c. | injured | d. | hungry | | |
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18.
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By
showing sympathy toward the distressed horses, one might say that the speaker is
_________. a. | grateful | b. | humane | c. | obligated | d. | expelled | | |
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Passage 4
The following questions refer to the passage
below.
Within minutes of leaving Broken Hill, there's not a
building in sight. Scrawny, stunted trees barely poke above scrubby bushes. It looks dry and not
nourishing. "I've never seen it look so green," enthuses Spangler, saying recent rain, the
first in a long time, has spawned an explosion of growth on usually barren rock. There are
myriad variations of blue-green, bronze-green, straw-green, olive-green and silver-green, though
nothing my city eyes would describe as vibrant or lush.
Read more:
<http://www.smh.com.au/travel/life-beyond-the-wire-20111208-1ok3b.html#ixzz1gebnxK4e>
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19.
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The
visually appealing details “stunted trees barely poke above scrubby bushes,” could be
classified as a. | diction | b. | imagery | c. | personification | d. | connotation | | |
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20.
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This
location could be described as a. | delightful | b. | humane | c. | empathetic | d. | desolate | | |
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21.
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The
word “barren” in the paragraph most closely means a. | fertile | b. | fruitful | c. | empty | d. | abundant | | |
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Passage 5
The following questions refer to the passage
below.
Morrie believed in the inherent good of people. But he
also saw what they could become...
“Here’s what I mean by building your own little subculture,” Morrie
said. “I don’t mean you disregard every rule of your community. I don’t go around
naked, for example. I don’t run through red lights. The little things, I can obey. But the big
things- how we think, what we value- those you must choose yourself. You can’t let anyone –
or any society- determine those for you.
“Take my condition. The things I am supposed to be embarrassed
about now- not being about to walk, not being able to wipe [myself], waking up some mornings wanting
to cry- there is nothing innately embarrassing or shaming about them.
“It’s the same for women not being thin enough, or men not
being rich enough. It’s just what our culture would have you believe. Don’t believe
it…”
“The problem, Mitch, is that we don’t
believe we are as much alike as we are. Whites and blacks, Catholics and Protestants, men and women.
If we saw each other as more alike, we might be very eager to join in one big human family in this
world, and to care about that family the way we care about our own.
“But believe me, when you are dying, you see it is true. We all
have the same beginning – birth – and we all have the same end – death. So how
different can we be?
“Invest in the human family. Invest in people.
Build a little community of those you love and who love you.”
He squeezed my hand gently. I squeezed back harder. And like that
carnival contest where you bang a hammer and watch the disk rise up the pole, I could almost see my
body heat rise up Morrie’s chest and neck into his cheeks and eyes. He
smiled.
“In the beginning of life, when we are infants,
we need others to survive, right? And at the end of life, when you get like me, you need others to
survive, right?”
His voice
dropped to a whisper. “But here’s the secret: in between, we need others as
well.”
from tuesdays
with Morrie by Mitch Albom
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22.
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Even
though Morrie was suffering from a terrible illness, he continued to see life in a positive light and
believe that he could make a contribution. His ___________ viewpoint is _________ in his belief in
the inherent good of people. a. | subjective, evinced | b. | capitalistic,
rooted | c. | optimistic, rooted | d. | altruistic,
qualified | | |
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23.
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In
the passage, Morrie’s words ____________ a sense of ____________ in that he seems at peace with
his illness and inevitable fate. a. | refute, materialism | b. | predominate,
altruism | c. | evince, tranquility | d. | expell,
gravity | | |
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24.
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In
paragraph 3 of the passage, the word “innately” most closely means a. | happily | b. | truly | c. | naturally | d. | shamefully | | |
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25.
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Morrie believes that human beings are _____________, meaning that we need one another
to survive. a. | subjective | b. | tolerant | c. | interdependent | d. | altruistic | | |
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26.
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Morrie is suffering from ALS, a terminal, degenerative disease. This illness is a
___________ to his quality of life. a. | ordinance | b. | expulsion | c. | obligation | d. | hindrance | | |
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27.
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Morrie’s message in paragraph 5 can BEST be described as one of a. | gratitude | b. | optimism | c. | interdependence | d. | tolerance | | |
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28.
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Which
of the following texts MOST CLOSELY resembles this passage in its message? a. | “Compassion
and the Individual” by Tenzin Gyatso | b. | “Kindness” by Naomi Nye | c. | “Unleashing
the Power of Creativity” by Bill Gates | d. | “On
Compassion” by Barbara Ascher | | |
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Writing
Choose the best answer for each
question.
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29.
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Ascher’s essay, “On
Compassion,” began by leading readers through several examples of encounters with the homeless.
These examples were designed to lead readers to her general conclusion. This type of organization is
known as a. | juxtaposition | b. | personal narrative | c. | cause and
effect | d. | exemplification | | |
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30.
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Look
at the excerpt from the essay “Unleashing the Power of Creativity” by Bill
Gates.
I believe that my own good fortune brings with it a
responsibility to give back to the world. My wife, Melinda, and I have committed to improving health
and education in a way that can help as many people as possible.
As a father, I believe that the death of a child in Africa
is no less poignant or tragic than the death of a child anywhere else. And that it doesn't take much
to make an immense difference in these children's lives.
I'm still very much an optimist, and I believe that progress
on even the world's toughest problems is possible — and it's happening every day. We're seeing
new drugs for deadly diseases, new diagnostic tools, and new attention paid to the health problems in
the developing world.
I'm excited
by the possibilities I see for medicine, for education and, of course, for technology. And I believe
that through our natural inventiveness, creativity and willingness to solve tough problems, we're
going to make some amazing achievements in all these areas in my
lifetime.
Which of the
following detail sentences uses embedded quotations and a signal phrase MOST
effectively? a. | “The death
of a child in Africa is no less poignant or tragic than the death of a child anywhere else,” so
we must work to make a difference using “our natural inventiveness, creativity and willingness
to solve tough problems.” | b. | Bill Gates said, “I believe that my own good
fortune brings with it a responsibility to give back to the world.” | c. | Bill Gates, the
CEO of Microsoft, thinks that we need to help others. | d. | Founder and CEO
of Microsoft, Bill Gates, emphasized that we have a “responsibility to give back to the
world,” and we can work to solve the “toughest problems” by employing “our
natural inventiveness, creativity and willingness to solve tough problems.”
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31.
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Read the given
prompt:
The blame for a child’s failure should always be placed with the parent. It is
ultimately the parent’s responsibility to teach a child to be
successful.
Write an essay that agrees, disagrees or qualifies this
statement.
Which of the following thesis statements would be MOST appropriate for an essay that
disagrees? a. | Although parents are responsible for
giving their children the tools for success, children must be held accountable for their own
mistakes, meaning that success or failure ultimately is up to each
individual. | b. | Are parents at fault when their children fail? | c. | While it is true that parents are ultimately responsible for their
children, it is unfair to say that a child’s failure is the parent’s fault, even though it
usually is. | d. | Because parents have the duty of teaching their children to be successful in the
world, bad parenting can often be partially blamed for a child’s failure, but children, as
individuals with free wills, must also shoulder some responsibility. | e. | I believe that parents have no control over the behavior of their
children. | | |
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32.
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Which of the following thesis
statements would be MOST appropriate for an essay that qualifies? a. | I believe that parents have no control over the behavior of their
children. | b. | Are parents at fault when their children fail? | c. | While it is true that parents are ultimately responsible for their
children, it is unfair to say that a child’s failure is the parent’s fault, even though it
usually is. | d. | Because parents have the duty of teaching their children to be successful in the
world, bad parenting can often be partially blamed for a child’s failure, but children, as
individuals with free wills, must also shoulder some responsibility. | e. | Although parents are responsible for giving their children the tools
for success, children must be held accountable for their own mistakes, meaning that success or
failure ultimately is up to each individual. | | |
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33.
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For the above prompt, which
of the following represents a counterclaim that the writer would need to refute in an essay that
agrees? a. | Children have free wills; therefore,
parents truly have no control over a child’s actions. | b. | Parents are supposed to teach their children right from
wrong. | c. | People that have made poor choices in their own lives should not be
parents. | d. | If a child is given guidance, he or she will naturally make better
choices. | | |
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